Sam Whiting
San Francisco Chronicle
(TNS)
Aug. 10—An abortion rights activist who was dragged off the hardwood floor of Chase Center during a protest at a Warriors-Celtics game in the NBA Finals has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that she was unlawfully injected with a sedative while in custody.
The law office of Oakland civil rights attorney John Burris filed the suit on behalf of Kareim McKnight, the woman who was seen being dragged away in a widely circulated video. The complaint, which names the City and County of San Francisco, the San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco Fire Department as co-defendants, alleges that McKnight was injected with a "sedative/hypnotic agent" that has been identified as a 5mg dose of Versed, the brand name for a sedative called midazolam which is used to relax patients for minor surgery and dental work.
"Giving an injection to a protester against her will is shocking and illegal," announced Burris during a Wednesday news conference in front of Chase Center. "In my entire career, I have never heard of a sedative being given to anyone, especially a fully restrained protester who was not a danger to themselves or others."
Neither Chase Center nor the Golden State Warriors were named in the suit. A Warriors spokesperson referred an inquiry to the Fire Department. Spokespersons for the Fire Department and the Police Department referred calls to City Attorney David Chiu's office, which handles litigation against the city. Jen Kwart, a spokesperson for the City Attorney's Office, said the agency could not comment directly because the city had not yet been served with the lawsuit.
The alleged incident happened June 13 when McKnight and Amanda Piasecki purchased tickets for the game with the intent of protesting the leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to the complaint. During the first quarter they unfurled a banner that stated "Overturn Roe? Hell No" and proceeded from their seats on the upper deck to the court-side section and down the aisle toward the floor, chanting all the way.
When they reached the floor they were surrounded by private security guards, at which time they went limp on the floor. While still chanting in protest they were dragged by security off the floor and into a back garage area, according to the complaint.
Once off the floor, Piasecki was released but McKnight, 42, a Vallejo resident, was handcuffed and strapped to a gurney, the complaint claims. A police officer threatened her with injection, which was ultimately administered by fire department personnel, the suit alleges. McKnight was then transported to Kaiser hospital and later released.
"There was no evidence that Ms. McKnight was a danger to herself or anyone else," said Burris. "She was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and she was protesting and making herself heard. That in and of itself cannot justify injecting a foreign substance into a person without proof of a medical or safety need, which was not the case for Ms. McKnight."
In the news release, it is alleged that McKnight was singled out for rough treatment, including the sedative injection, because she is Black. Piasecki, who is white, was let go, according to the complaint.
Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @SamWhitingSF
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